The invention is directed to an opto-electrical module for converting optical signals into electrical signals or, respectively, electrical signals into optical signals.
Such modules are frequently employed in broadband communication systems such as, for example, in communication systems operating according to an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) since signal conversions of optical signals into electrical signals and vice versa are in part provided within such a system. For example, due to the requirement of a high data throughput rate, a transmission of message signals, in the form of message cells in an ATM system, thus frequently only ensues in electrical form within existing switching networks. After passing through such a switching network, for example, a plurality of message signals streams to be forwarded in the same direction is then multiplexed and converted by an electrical/optical transducer into an optical multiplex signal that is subsequently forwarded to a following system means, for example to a following switching network. In the opposite direction, an optical multiplex signal formed of a plurality of message signal streams and supplied to a switching network is resolved into the individual message signal streams by an optical/electrical transducer and converted into electrical message signal streams. These message signal streams are then forwarded via the corresponding switching network.